Hey I applied for medicine this year and am choosing between universities for my course. I've managed to narrow it down to either Edinburgh or UCL and since the courses are fairly similar (intercalated year etc)
I was wondering if anyone had any personal experiences of medicine at either uni and could sway me in one direction?

At the moment I like the fact that Edinburgh is really far away which means I definitely wouldn't have to live at home! thanks.

(Original post by eatpigeons)
Hey I applied for medicine this year and am choosing between universities for my course. I've managed to narrow it down to either Edinburgh or UCL and since the courses are fairly similar (intercalated year etc)
I was wondering if anyone had any personal experiences of medicine at either uni and could sway me in one direction?

At the moment I like the fact that Edinburgh is really far away which means I definitely wouldn't have to live at home! thanks.

I'm a first year at UCL and having a good time but I would say that you shouldn't go by what other people tell you - go with your gut instinct. You'll have a great time at either.

(Original post by violin101)
I'm a first year at UCL and having a good time but I would say that you shouldn't go by what other people tell you - go with your gut instinct. You'll have a great time at either.

(Original post by eatpigeons)
Hey I applied for medicine this year and am choosing between universities for my course. I've managed to narrow it down to either Edinburgh or UCL and since the courses are fairly similar (intercalated year etc)
I was wondering if anyone had any personal experiences of medicine at either uni and could sway me in one direction?

At the moment I like the fact that Edinburgh is really far away which means I definitely wouldn't have to live at home! thanks.

I have a friend whose just finished her medical degree at UCL and for the most part she's really enjoyed it. The medics in her year at least seem to have a great community and there are medic only societies through RUMS and medic 'Mums and Dads' so medics in the years below have older medics looking out for them. They seemed to have a great work life balance- they took the work hard party hard theme seriously, taking a full part in sportsnight (Wed night) and going out regularly despite have 9am lectures (in the first three years at least).

Main downsides:
-UCL wide: accomodation is insanely expensive and unless you have a budget near the top end there is a good chance you will have to share a room
-Intercalated year: if you want to do neuroscience its insanely competitive, my friend wanted to but ended up with medical physics which she didn't enjoy

I know two people who've done medicine in Edinburgh/UCL, both graduates, and both loved it.

UCL is London, with all the upsides (world class facilities, lecturers and research opportunities) and downsides (incredibly expensive) that entails. Both medical schools seem to have similar philosophies of being encouraging to strong students, but not that supportive of struggling students. Edinburgh I hear has started to run free buses from the university to halls/hospital placements, based on feedback from the student body.

Unless financial considerations make the choice for you, I'd say figure out the curriculum, intercalating options, etc, and decide which appeals to you most.

UCL and Edinburgh are more similar than different. I would honestly pick by which city you prefer to spend 6 years in.
They both have a relatively clear pre-clinical/clinical divide, with taxing exams and a great medical student associations for social events, sports teams and other forms of support. In terms of intercalating, they're both international centres of excellence in most departments and offer a breadth of choices which aren't just limited to the sciences. The clinical schools are very similar too. If you're into specialist centres, both have them - though arguably these aren't the best places to learn at when an undergraduate student.

Just a note on the above post - I really wouldn't worry about getting set on intercalation options pre-university. Lots of people who thought they wanted to do X subject (usually genetics/neuro) were turned off when they actually did the relevant modules in the course as the details of what you study are different to perceptions. And neuroscience while being more competitive, is only marginally so (~1.1 - 1.2 applicants per place) - thus most people who went for it got it, and you were more unlucky than anything else if you didn't get it. Most get their first choice BSc.

In summary: where do you want to spend the next 6 years? The 2 uni courses are essentially the same.